Irish Dunlop Tournament
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ireland | 
| Established | 1933 | 
| Format | Stroke play (Match play in 1947) | 
| Final year | 1980 | 
| Final champion | |
| Des Smyth | |
The Irish Dunlop Tournament was a professional golf tournament played in Ireland until 1980. It was one of the top events on the professional circuit in Ireland.[1]
Prior to World War II, it was a 72-hole stroke play event known as the Dunlop-Irish Tournament and was one of several regional tournaments sponsored by Dunlop in which the winners were sometimes invited to play in the Dunlop-Metropolitan Tournament. After the war Dunlop revived the tournament in 1946, switching to match play in 1947. After a break of two years, the Irish Dunlop returned as a 72-hole stroke play event in 1950, after which it was staged annually until its cancellation in 1981.[2] It also provided a qualification route for the prestigious Dunlop Masters on the British PGA circuit.[3][4]
In its final year, Des Smyth broke all records for the tournament as he finished 16 strokes ahead of the field with a 261 (27 under par) aggregate. He also set a new course record for Headfort Golf Club with a 64 in the final round, having already recorded 65 in both the first and third rounds.[5]
Winners
| Year | Venue | Winner | Score | Ref | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Headfort |  Des Smyth | 261 | [5] | 
| 1979 | Tramore | .svg.png) David Jones | 284 | [6] | 
| 1978 | Hermitage | .svg.png) David Jones | 279 | [7] | 
| 1977 | Douglas |  Peter Townsend | 276 | [8] | 
| 1976 | Hermitage |  Eamonn Darcy | 275 | [9] | 
| 1975 | Bundoran | .svg.png) Eddie Polland | 277 | [10] | 
| 1974 | Hermitage |  Christy O'Connor Jnr | 284 | [11] | 
| 1973 | Headfort | .svg.png) Eddie Polland | 283 | [12] | 
| 1972 | Kilkenny |  John O'Leary | 280 | [3] | 
| 1971 | Douglas |  Jimmy Kinsella | 279 | [13] | 
| 1970 | Tullamore |  Hugh Boyle | 277 | [14] | 
| 1969 | Bundorran |  Michael Murphy | 284 | [15] | 
| 1968 | Limerick | .svg.png) Hugh Jackson | 279 | [16] | 
| 1967 | Tramore |  Christy O'Connor Snr | 275 | [17] | 
| 1966 | Bettystown |  Christy O'Connor Snr | 265 | [18] | 
| 1965 | Carlow |  Christy O'Connor Snr | 288 | [19] | 
| 1964 | Galway |  Christy Greene | 276 | [20] | 
| 1963 | Douglas |  Nicky Lynch | 279 | [21] | 
| 1962[a] | Elm Park |  Christy O'Connor Snr | 276 | [22] | 
| 1961 | Clontarf[b] |  Nicky Lynch | 278 | [23] | 
| 1960 | Dun Laoghaire |  Christy O'Connor Snr  Jimmy Kinsella | 271 | [24] | 
| 1959 | Hermitage | .svg.png) Norman Drew | 284 | [25] | 
| 1958[a] | Elm Park |  Harry Bradshaw[c] .svg.png) Norman Drew | 288 | [26][27] | 
| 1957 | Dun Laoghaire | .svg.png) Jimmy Henderson  Willie Gaffney | 283 | [28] | 
| 1956 | Dun Laoghaire | .svg.png) Fred Daly | 276 | [29] | 
| 1955 | Dun Laoghaire |  Christy O'Connor Snr | 268 | [30] | 
| 1954 | Woodbrook | .svg.png) Fred Daly | 270 | [31] | 
| 1953 | Newlands |  Christy O'Connor Snr | 278 | [32] | 
| 1952 | Castle | .svg.png) Fred Daly | 273 | [33] | 
| 1951 | Milltown |  Harry Bradshaw | 274 | [34] | 
| 1950 | Castle |  Harry Bradshaw | 282 | [35] | 
| 1949 | ||||
| 1948 | ||||
| 1947 | Portmarnock |  John McKenna | 6 and 5 | [36] | 
| 1946 | Castle | .svg.png) Fred Daly | 288 | [37] | 
| Dunlop-Irish Tournament | ||||
| 1937 | Newlands |  John McKenna | 288 | [38] | 
| 1936 | Royal Belfast |  Paddy Mahon | 298 | [39] | 
| 1935 | Royal Dublin |  Pat O'Connor | 290 | [40] | 
| 1934 | Knock |  Willie Nolan | 283 | [41] | 
| 1933 | Milltown |  Willie Nolan  Pat O'Connor | 291 | [42] | 
See also
References
- ^ "Money is there for the asking". Sunday Independent. Dublin, Republic of Ireland. 20 January 1974. p. 26. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Golf blow". Liverpool Echo. Liverpool, England. 21 January 1981. p. 14. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "O'Leary's victory". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 8 May 1972. p. 14. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Irish Dunlop Professional Golf Tournament". New Ross Standard. County Wexford, Republic of Ireland. 3 April 1965. p. 11. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b Hennessy, John (16 June 1980). "Golf | Course record for Smyth". The Times. London, England. p. 9. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "Ice-cool David wins Dunlop No. 2". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 11 June 1979. p. 35. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Jones' victory dram as Eddie loses count". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 21 August 1978. p. 15. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Unbeatable Bertie No. 1 | At Douglas...". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 26 September 1977. p. 16. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Darcy cashes in on O'Connor's late slip". Birmingham Daily Post. Birmingham, England. 2 August 1976. p. 11. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Magowan, Jack (23 June 1975). "Eddie said he'd win —and did". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. p. 26. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Polland pipped". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 3 June 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Drama as Polland wins it". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 18 June 1973. p. 17. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "O'Leary's best—fourth". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 6 September 1971. p. 15. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Boyle wins by five strokes". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 20 July 1970. p. 11. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Christy was favourite but failed". Sligo Champion. Sligo, Republic of Ireland. 5 September 1969. p. 14. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Golf "double" by Jackson brothers". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 29 July 1968. p. 11. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Boyle three putts—pipped by O'Connor". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 21 August 1967. p. 11. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Sensational ending to professional test". Drogheda Independent. Drogheda, Republic of Ireland. 6 August 1966. p. 11. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Drew lets prize slip from grasp". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 12 April 1965. p. 13. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Greene wins by 7 shots". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 14 September 1964. p. 16. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "O'Connor putter lets him down". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 16 September 1963. p. 12. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Golf". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 17 September 1962. p. 11. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Sports news in a few lines | Nick Lynch...". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 21 August 1961. p. 11. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Henderson's 63". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 29 August 1960. p. 10. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Drew first in Dunlop tourney". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 8 June 1959. p. 11. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Drew—Bradshaw in play-off". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 26 September 1958. p. 19. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Drew just fails in trophy bid". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 27 September 1958. p. 10. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Henderson shares Dunlop golf prize". The Northern Whig and Belfast Post. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 18 October 1957. p. 8. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Irish Dunlop prize for Daly". The Times. London, England. 28 September 1956. p. 14. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "O'Connor wins from Bradshaw". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 30 September 1955. p. 12. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Daly wins £500 Dunlop tourney". Larne Times. Larne, Northern Ireland. 23 September 1954. p. 7. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Dunlop victory for O'Connor". The Northern Whig and Belfast Post. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 26 September 1953. p. 5. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Fred Daly wins in Dublin". The Times. London, England. 12 September 1952. p. 9. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "More news records by Bradshaw". Belfast News-Letter. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 5 October 1951. p. 7. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Record 67 to win Dunlop tourney". Irish Independent. Dublin, Republic of Ireland. 2 June 1950. p. 7. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "M'Kenna wins Irish Dunlop event". The Northern Whig and Belfast Post. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 20 June 1947. p. 5. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Daly wins Dublin golf contest". Belfast News-Letter. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 25 October 1946. p. 8. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "M'Kenna wins "Dunlop-Irish" event". The Northern Whig and Belfast Post. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 28 May 1937. p. 9. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Golf | The Dunlop Irish tournament". The Times. London, England. 27 March 1936. p. 6. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "Professional golf tournaments | Dunlop-Irish tournament". The Times. London, England. 18 April 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "Great golf at Knock". The Northern Whig and Belfast Post. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 24 August 1934. p. 12. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Honours shared". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 28 September 1933. p. 10. Retrieved 3 June 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.